Travel & Product Tips

Planning to explore what the nature has to offer to you? If yes, buying a caravan is the best decision you’d ever take in your life. Once you own a caravan, it would turn out to be a perfect companion for your weekend escape, which will take you to your favorite destination. A caravan gives you the freedom to relax and unwind from your sedentary lifestyle, which of course is quite necessary.

Caravans come with a range of layouts and designs. You need to choose wisely which one will fit your requirements to the core.

Here are 5 things you should consider to Get Your Family the Best Caravan

1. The Caravan Layout for your Family

The caravan manufacturing industry caters to the requirements of every caravanner. If you are someone who usually would travel with family, then make sure that you choose a caravan that gives you an option of bunk beds, so that your kids already have their permanent little space every time they are out with you caravanning.

You won’t have to pack and lay out their beds every day. Choose a caravan that gives you enough space for all such requirements.

2. A Caravan Awning for Adding Extra Space

Never forget to buy Caravan awning while you are caravanning. A perfect caravan awning will complement your whole trip. Who knows you can get an amazing double bedroom space at you favorite camping spot along with your caravan. Australia Wide Annexes offers you a range of quality awnings that can be carried to provide you an extra room while you exploring your favorite outdoors.

3. Storage - Must for your family

When you are traveling with your family, you will always need an extra space for storage. Before finalizing any caravan, make sure that it has a lot of potential space in it. You can choose the Caravan with space underneath the beds and sofas as well. Just lift it and check if that would be sufficient for you.

4. The Heating, Cooking, and Electrics for a great experience

Always check if your caravan has enough of power sockets or not. While you are into the wild, you need these sockets to charge your cell phone, and other gadgets. Ovens, toaster, kettles and grills also need the heat. Either get your caravan customized or mention all these requirements to the seller specifically.

5. Water & Toilet

You might want to use two water rollers on a trip because traveling with family would demand that. Consider this factor well and check if your potential caravan has enough of space to carry a couple of water rollers or not. You will also have to make sure if it can get connected to fresh water or not.

With these essential considerations, there are a lot of Caravan accessories like a Bike Rack, Minor Fixtures & Fittings, Outside Electrics, Gas and Shower etc. which you can consider while planning to buy a caravan.

Is there anything else you would like to consider? Choose well! Happy Caravanning!

Caravans make a great holiday accommodation! Yet, if you want to increase your living space while you are out on a caravanning trip, awnings are what you should be looking forward to! When you go out to purchase an awning, all you need to look after is the fabric you want, the poles and probably the texture! Once you have bought it, you also need to make sure that it always looks great every time you install it! Here are some Tips for Keeping Your Outdoor Awning Looking Great!

Approach Commercial Awning Cleaners

Call for a commercial cleaner who is well versed with dealing with the awning fabrics! Be it a stain on the awning or a mildew, a professional will cleaning the awning in the most apt way, the way it should be cleaned! After all, an awning requires some spraying, cleaning, rolling and rinsing which can actually turn out to be a hassle for you!

Inspect Awnings For Mildew or Stains When First Opening

Before you leave for your caravanning trip, make sure that you open your awning for once, and check the fabric thoroughly to make sure there isn't any mildew or stains sneaking on the fabric. You need to check for stains and mildew because awnings do develop mildew. Don’t opt for scrubbing, else it will eliminate the water-resistant finish.

Make Sure There Aren't Any Tears

With time,the fabric of your awning might suffer from wear and tear! So make sure that you check for the tears and get the patches or the repair done before the fabric wears out completely!

Avoid Storing While Wet

In case you ever store your awning wet, it is most likely to develop a mildew or the moisture will eventually get the material rotting! Make sure that the awning is dry on both the sides and then store!

Store In Travel Mode

When you leave the site, fold and store the awning in the travel mode or it might get the fabric damaged during the travel!

Follow these simple tips and you will never have to look down for a new awning every now and then! So next time you get going for a caravanning trip, prepare your awnings well! In case, you still haven’t grabbed your awning to complement your trip, approach Australia Wide Annexes and they will offer you with the most apt awning according to the measurements of your caravan and your needs!

Caravan awnings offer great convenience and comfort on the road with your very own personal shade. You can escape the heat or rain by simply putting up the awning wherever you park the caravan. It can be set up easily without a lot of effort. An awning may seem to be a significant part of the caravan, but it offers much more than mere shade. Did you know that your caravan awning can actually help in keeping the caravan cool? There are several benefits of getting an awning for your caravan.

Follow these quick caravan awning tips for ensuring proper health of your caravan awnings and keeping them in proper working condition throughout.

Tip #1: Use a Mild Detergent for Cleaning the Awnings Regularly

It is advisable to use a mild detergent for cleaning the awnings regularly as it will prevent accumulated debris and dirt from damaging the fabric. Make sure you get a bleach-free cleaner as bleach tends to reduce the life of the stitching. You should be careful about accumulated bird droppings as these can be corrosive and can bake into the fabric, thereby making it difficult to remove safely.

Tip #2: Get the Caravan Awning Serviced Annually

Even if you don’t use your caravan frequently, it is suggested to get the caravan awning serviced annually. This includes lubricating the sliding arms, checking the spring tension, making necessary repairs, and checking the overall functioning of the awning. Never miss out on the annual maintenance as it could help in detecting as well as repairing flaws that might have appeared.

Tip #3: Rub caravan wax Over the Stitching to Prevent Rain Water From Dripping

The stitching on the awning, located in the place where the awning slides into the sail rack, needs to be coated with wax to prevent rain water from dripping inside. The stitching is vulnerable as it may not offer a completely water proof layer. Make sure that the wax coating is applied on the area that is hidden after the awning is rolled up. This will prevent sun damage. Several awnings have actually deteriorated a lot just because certain parts were left exposed to the sun for a long time. It is best to take the necessary steps to protect the awning from all things that could cause damage in any form.

Tip #4: Tie Down the Awnings to Keep Them Steady

Sudden gusts of wind can destroy the awning if it has not been tied down properly. A good way to make sure that you are aware of the pegs would be to paint them white. This will keep them visible and you can always check if they have come out from their position. Trust me, this will save you a lot of unnecessary hassle.

Tip #5: Don’t Allow Water to Accumulate

The awning fabric tends to weight down if a lot of water has accumulated causing the awning to collapse. Even if a little amount of water is left on the awning, the fabric tends to stretch. This causes unwanted flapping which loosens the awning’s stitching. A good way to prevent this would be to use anti-flappers and to remove the water from the awning’s surface by allowing the water to run off from one of the sides.

Get a Good Awning to Avoid Problems

You need to get a good quality awning for your caravan so that you don’t have to make frequent repairs on it. It should have a perfect fit with the caravan and the fabric should be good enough to withstand regular usage without the need for frequent servicing. No caravan awning is completely maintenance-free, but a good quality awning will help you to save up on unnecessary expenses and also save time that would have otherwise been spent in getting it checked by professionals. Check out some really good caravan awnings here.

Having trouble with your caravan awning? You don’t always have to take it to the garage to get it repaired or checked up. A periodic checkup is always good as it helps to conduct timely maintenance of the caravan. But there is no need to rush to the garage every time you come across a problem with the caravan awning. After all, if you are on the road, you would have to manage things on your own with little or no help available on the way.

Here are some quick fixes for your caravan awnings that you can manage on your own without any professional help. These are mere suggestions that will allow you to make quick fixes. If you find that the problem is severe, then it would be better to get it checked at the garage or by an expert to avoid incurring further damage.

Replacing Awning Straps Without Disassembling the Caravan Awning

Awning straps can get worn out and may not be effective enough in this condition. While it is easy to replace the straps, one usually has to disassemble the entire structure for getting the job done. There is a good chance that the strap may be torn partially at the point where it is connected to the awning channel. All you need to do is to drill a hole at a 45 degree angle in the channel to get the old strap out and install the new one in its place. The new strap easily slides into the channel. The only thing that you need to be careful about is to make the hole perfectly. You can do it with a cordless drill as well. The best thing about this approach is that you don’t need to disassemble everything for replacing the strap.

Repairing Rips, Tears and Punctures to Awnings

Rips, tears and punctures to caravan awnings are inevitable when you are on the road. There can be countless reasons behind such minor damages. Don’t worry. These things will not require the entire awning to be replaced. Simply use awning repair tapes to repair the fabric and keep it in place so that further damage is avoided. The tapes have a very strong adhesive layer which allows the bonds to be highly cohesive. It is this feature which holds the fabric together and keeps minor tears from becoming worse when the awning is set up.

Fixing Uneven Winding of the Awning

You must have faced the problem of uneven retracting or winding of the caravan awning. This needs to be kept perfectly aligned. During installation, it is generally ensured that the awning is fitted perfectly with both arms being positioned in parallel and the awning fabric is made to stretch between these arms. The best solution for this is to realign the arms and make sure they stay in their position.

You should also check the screws and make sure the chord is positioned correctly. For hindered movement, you could use lubrication for reducing friction during movement. If you notice any structural defect, then the most effective solution would be to get it checked by a professional. By attempting to repair the problem, you could actually end up worsening the problem. Replacement should only be considered as a last resort.

If you are reading this, then there is a good chance that you have a caravan awning with you already. For those who have just bought a new caravan awning, congratulations for the new accessory. I am sure that you would love the homely comfort and the convenience that it will provide. No matter where you go in your caravan, you will always have your personal space with you when you set up camp. What can be more comfortable than having your own personal space during a road trip?

Buying the awning is just the initial step. You need to take good care of the caravan awning for ensuring long term usage and preventing damage which would require additional investment to be made for repairs. Check out the following useful tips that will help you to prevent damage to the caravan awning and help you to get the most out of it.

Practice Setting Up the Awning at Your Home

Practicing setting up the caravan awning at home is the best way to get used to it. When trying it out at home, you are in your comfort zone and if you run into trouble, you will be able to get help. This isn’t the case if you are on the road. Help may or may not be available. Learning how to setup a caravan awning the right way will be beneficial for you and it will also help you in avoiding problems. This prove to be very useful if you have just bought a new awning.

Get Help If You Are Not Able to Set Up the Awning Yourself

You should not be reluctant to ask for help. If you are not able to get the job done yourself, you should ask for help from your neighbors and friends. This is way better than fumbling around during a road trip and facing embarrassment in front of seasoned caravanners. I am sure you wouldn’t want this to happen.

Check the Wind’s Direction When You Camp

If you decide to put up in a caravan park, then ask the site owner about the direction of the prevailing winds. This will help you to position the awning appropriately such that it is protected in case the wind speed increases. Don’t depend completely on the site owner for the wind speed and direction. It is possible that these factors may change without prior intimation. Use a wind sock just as a precautionary measure.

Stay Tuned to Weather Forecasts

Stay tuned to the daily weather forecasts and make sure that you take the necessary precautions to prevent damages to the caravan awning. If it is likely to get windy, take the awning down. There could be other weather conditions that might affect the area where you are camped. It is better to be prepared than risking damage to the caravan and its accessories.

Remove the Awning Early to Prevent Moisture

Make sure that you remove the awning during the afternoon or a day before you intend to leave. This will prevent moisture from developing on the awning. Since the awning’s fabric needs to be dried naturally, you would have to wait for it to dry completely before moving on. If the awning’s fabric isn’t dry before you roll it up and put it away, there is a good chance that mildew will form and it will damage the fabric. Just plan your things properly and you should be able to avoid running into problems.

Get Your Caravan Awning Insured

Make sure that you have the right insurance policy that not only provides cover for your caravan but also for the awning. Not all caravan insurance policies cover awnings, so consult with the insurance company and get the right policy. This will help you to mitigate losses if incurred.

It is important to keep your caravan’s awnings clean. A clean awning will not only deliver prolonged usage but it will also provide a healthy environment. I am sure you would not like to travel around with an awning that is infested with germs and is covered with grime. Usually, cleaning a caravan awning may involve time and efforts, especially for removing the awning fabric. Have you ever thought about getting the job done in just one step?

When I say about cleaning the caravan awning in just a single step, I mean cleaning both sides of the fabric in one swift move. How is this possible? First you need to create a cleaning solution. For this, you need to mix 2 parts of bleach to 8-10 parts of water. Put this solution in a spray bottle and test it by spray once or twice. Before you start the cleaning process, just extend the awning out completely as this would expose the maximum area of the awning’s fabric.

The one step cleaning requires you to cover both the sides of the fabric with an even coating of the cleaning mixture. Once done, just retract the awning and let it sit for a while. After an hour or so, just pull out the awning and you will notice that it’s clean. Just rinse it off with some water and let it dry. Now wasn’t that easy? If you caravan awning is excessively dirty, then you might want to give it a light scrub with a brush. However, if you repeat this one step cleaning process periodically, then you need not worry about the awning getting very dirty.

I hope this was a helpful tip for all caravanners out there. If you have some suggestions or other fast methods for cleaning caravan awnings, share them in the comments thread below. Happy caravanning!

Caravan awnings and annexes offer personal space and homely comfort during road trips. These are priceless luxuries that are rarely fulfilled by other means. Having you own personal space to relax is something to die for. There are not a lot of convenient facilities that you may come across on your road trip, especially if you are travelling on rough paths with wilderness around you. Rollout caravan awnings are probably the easiest ones to setup, being second only to powered awnings. But the easy operation can only be achieved if the entire rollout awning is fitted properly on the caravan.

It is important to select the right rollout caravan awning which not only suits your specific requirements, but is also compatible with your caravan. In this discussion we will cover the basics of choosing the correct awning, and ways to modify your caravan to accept one of these popular units.

Caravan Assessment

Possible rollout caravan awning obstructions (Source: Caravan Plus)

The awning that you intend to buy should be perfectly compatible with your caravan. The first step in deciding which awning to fit up is to access the possible obstructions. Common obstructions include clearance lights, annexe lights, roof curves, door and access hatches, and windows. The ideal installation conditions for the rollout caravan awning would be to cover the maximum possible area.

Optimum rollout awning position (Source: Caravan Plus)

The above diagram indicates the most optimum position for placing and installing the rollout caravan awning. As is evident in the diagram itself, the legs are positioned vertically without any obstruction whilst the bottom brackets are bolted firmly into the sill panel of the caravan. The top brackets are close to the top section which allows the awning roll to avoid obstructions.

Determining the Awning Size

Where to measure and where not to measure (Source: Caravan Plus)

Before even attempting to determine the awning size required for your caravan, you need to understand the implications of the size mentioned by the awning manufacturers. Rollout awnings are all measured in feet. An awning might be 11' 10 1/2", but still considered to be 12' in length. As depicted in the image above, it is better to take measurements between the arms instead of measuring the length of the awning roll. This could lead to wrong values being recorded for the measurements.

When measuring the awning length, always make sure that you measure from the centre of one awning arm to the centre of the other awning arm. If you measure the fabric, then you will end up 1’ short of the actual requirement measurement. Errors like this could cause serious issues with the clearance of the rollout awning.

Additional Components / Accessories

The rollout awning is not solely composed of the awning fabric and the basic support system. There are accessories such as rope tracks which are needed for securing the rope that is sewn into the header of the fabric to the caravan. The rope tracks are installed on the caravan with the help of flanges. If it is installed on the side, then a double flange is required. A single flange is required for installing the track on the top corner.

Getting the Best Rollout Caravan Awning

You should have gained some understanding on the things that need to be evaluated before choosing a rollout awning for your caravan. You can always follow the instructions and install the awning yourself. But if you are not too confident about it, then it is best left to the professionals who will get it done faster and in a better manner than you.

The last thing that you should take care of is the quality of the materials. There is no sense in going for inferior quality materials because awnings, especially rollout awnings, are meant to last for at least a year if subjected to extreme rough conditions. Since these are considerable investments, you should always try to get the best rollout caravan awning for yourself.

Nothing is ever a hassle as long as you follow the provided instructions carefully. People often find it rather tedious to set up caravan awnings or annexes but the fact is that it is easy to set up such structures. Do not go by the overall construction of these awnings as they may seem to be very technical (which they are), but that is only to make them work properly. However, you do not have to do anything overly technical to set it up.

Here is how you set up a roll out awning for a caravan:

1. The first thing that you need to do is to unlock the travel locks and move the latches into place. This should take just under a minute.
2. Now you need to undo the ratchet. You will notice a small loop hanging out of the awning roll. Grab it with the hook at the end of the rod that you have in your hand, and then just pull it.
3. As soon as you pull away, the awning will come down into position with its attached legs holding it in the right spot. At this point, you need to bring in the support arms and fix it into place.
4. The legs which are attached to the front corners of the awning will have their other end positioned under the caravan. You just need to bring them out and put up the legs in the right position. Lock it into position and give it a light tug to see if it is held in place.
5. Take the pressure off the roller and make sure that it is at 90 degrees. At this point, lock off the supporting arms.

This is just about it and the work would have been done faster if you had an extra person to help you to manage the other side of the awning. Now the above procedure was for a caravan awning that has the legs attached to the lower side of the caravan. If you want the legs to stand upright for the “awning patio position”, then just unlatch the end of the legs from the caravan and move it into position. You could also use this upright awning as a base for putting up your annexe.

For awnings that exceed 16 ft or 17 ft, a central arm is provided to add stability to the structure. So when you have a central arm, just unlock it, remove it from the latch and bring it up to the locating arm. This needs to be locked into position as well.

When you are done with the awning and you need to move on ahead, just follow all of the above mentioned steps in reverse and that should help you to roll up the awning and lock it into place before you drive off. Just do everything in the right order and you should get the things done in a jiffy.